The silent whispers of the Dark forest
by Mellowix
Summary: With each generation of the Clans, there will always be sins that go unpunished. Their clanmates failed to see the cracks within their seemingly innocent smile. Dying with the honour they didn't deserve. Yet there's no hiding from Starclan. These silent killer's crimes will be exposed and be a warning to those living cats today.


**Authors note: Those are headcanon stories of Background Characters in the Dark Forest. This includes S****u susann's chooses like Lilywhisker, Brightflower, etc. who debated****on if her word should be considered canon or not. Obscure character will be used in the short stories, so Wiki links will be provided if you're curious.****Hope you enjoy! **

**Blizzardwing****:** He'd do anything to protect Shadowclan, not above murdering enemies in battle, reasonable for both murders of Brackenwing  
and Stonewing. After his own mother wasn't avenged in battle, he grew the mentality that it was no big deal. When it came to protecting his clan, it wasn't always against enemy warriors, sometimes he considers the threat to be coming from within. When Cedarstar was growing too old to run the Clan but wasn't going to retire, Blizzardwing decided Shadowclan needed someone younger. So during a time when prey was scarce, Blizzardwing convinced Cedarstar, it was worth the risk of hunting in the carrion place. When they split up to hunt, Blizzardwing was right out of there. As planned, when Cedarstar returned to camp, he was sick with the Carron disease and he couldn't be cured in time.

But Blizzardwing's story wasn't over. After losing 2 kits to Brokenstar and being banished with the rest of the elders, Blizzardwing decided to take matters into his own paws. Recently, his only surviving daughter gives birth to a litter of two: Blossomkit and Swampkit. Thinking they're on a death sentence anyway, Blizzardwing decides to just kill them himself, save them from a more gruesome one at the claws of Brokenstar. So while driving out Windclan, Blizzardwing snuck onto the battlefield, with the help of the warrior, Deerfoot, they secretly glided the kits away from the fighting. But as soon as they were alone, they finished them off quickly. Though Deerfoot's motive was to send a message to Brokenstar - That appointing underaged kits is pointless.

However, realising Brokenstar didn't care for the litter's deaths, Blizzardwing decides to just kill him directly, with Deerfoot bailing out, convinced it would end in their demise. And he was right. While Brokenstar was in a training session with his underaged apprentices, with no other warrior around, Blizzardwing attacked. With an advantage of surprise, Blizzardwing managed to take one of Brokenstar's lives. The white elder had convinced himself that Brokenstar only had one life, refusing to believe Starclan would grant such an evil cat nine lives. Yet to his horror the brown tabby began to stir again, tearing the elder to scraps as soon as he was given life again.

**Deerfoot****/****Tangleburr****: **For revenge of their constant torment of him as kits, Brokenstar would relentlessly overwork his siblings with patrols and training, when he became leader. His sister, Tangleburr became his reluctant follower to ease the amount of work. However, Deerfoot refused to become like that. He continued the horrid labour and getting abashing whenever he tried to stand up for himself. What made his situation worse, was needing to look after his half-starved mother,Lizardstripe. Who Brokenstar refused to promote as an elder, despite being too old to be a warrior. Also, always making sure she was the last to eat in the Clan. In an effort to impress Brokenstar, Tangleburr had purposefully aimed to kill Lionheart. With Deerfoot only aiding to make sure she didn't get hurt in the process. He teamed up with the elder Blizzardwing to kill Dawncloud's litter in an attempt to give them a swifter death then Brokenstar would give them. But seeing how dangerous it was becoming, he stopped. With Blizzardwing ending up being killed by Brokenstar.

When Brokenstar and his followers were driven out, Tangleburr was among them. Deerfoot yelled for his sister to be given a fair trial but no one listened to him. Even being accused of being Brokenstar's follower himself, forcing him to remain silent out of the threat of exile. He was unpopular in the Clan because of his connections to Brokenstar, making him bitter and cold. The death of his mother from Greencough just making it worse. So while they were separated, the siblings' relationship becomes soured and distant, their loyalties forced separate ways. Both turning selfish, as if they had never first shared a mother in the first place.

Then Tangleburr ended up returning along sides Brokenstar's others followers, brought back by Tigerstar. Though Deerfoot had other interests in mind, seeing it as an opportunity to save his own reputation, thinking of Tigerstar as a repeat of Brokenstar. So, to prove his loyalty to his clanmates, he'd openly criticize Tigerstar more then anyone. Eventually, Tigerstar had enough of Deerfoot, using him as a way to test Tangleburr and Stumpytail, whose loyalty he felt was wavering. So he sent the three cats on patrol, giving his followers the order to take Deerfoot to the border, to either chase him out or kill him. Though Deerfoot wasn't stupid, he quickly picked up that something was wrong. When they made it to the border, Deerfoot claimed he knew what they were trying to do, before exclaiming that Tangleburr was a traitor. Disgusted his own sister was willing to kill him, he struck first. Though with two against one, Deerfoot was quickly overpowered, dying with a bite to the throat.

Nobody discovered what Tangleburr did her brother that day. She continued as Tigerstar's executioner alongside Stumpytail, killing Mistyfoot's kits, Primrosepaw and Pikepaw during the Half-Clan genocide. Despite her reputation never recovering, Tangleburr lead a relatively average life and a quiet death. It was only in the afterlife did Tangleburr finally get punished for her crimes.

**Brightflower**** : **Her crimes only came near the end of her life. After Brokenstar confessed to the murder of her second litter, Brightflower finally acknowledged to the truth she'd been denying for seasons - Brokenstar was her grandson. After everything that had happened, the crazed she-cat gained a warped view of the world. Convinced that all cats are destined from birth to be good or evil - And nothing can be done to change their nature. Brightflower swore she'd never allowed another Brokenstar to rise again, so made it her mission to wipe "future evils" before they could become a threat. This was in the form of killing them as kits.

When Nightstar became leader, Brightflower became a short-lived permanent Queen. Now close to Shadowclan's young, she judged which ones were 'potential threats' over nothing but random hunches. Then she'd secretly kill them, staged as innocent accidents. However, Brightflower was no Brokenstar, she wasn't naturally a manipulator. Though she technically got away with her murders, her mental health was visibly affected. She only ended up having two victims: smothering Quietkit while she was asleep and tricking Lavenderkit into eating crowfood. Her third attempt was on Rowankit by using the same method as Lavenderkit. Though after what happened to his sister, he wouldn't make the same mistake, refusing Brightflower's suggestion.

Finally losing her composer, Brightflower went for old-fashioned brute force, right in the middle of camp. Her clanmates immediately pulled her away, confused to what had happened. Unable to make sense of Brightflower's ramblings, Nightstar ordered her to retire and confined her to the Elder's den. Thinking her failure to kill Rowankit would lead to Shadowclan's destination, Brightflower soon died of stress.

**Shredtail**** : ** Since the Clans began, Windclan had always been stereotyped as weaklings and as a runt, Shredtail got the worse of this stigma. So gave himself extra training that pushed his body to its absolute limits - becoming an obsession. Any free time he had would be out in the Windclan territory, being his assault course, forcing himself to beat every personal record. His muscles almost unnaturally large. Loving nothing more than battle, finally able to put all that work to use. Then seeing the terror-filled expressions of the enemies that dared call him weak. Specially requesting his full name to be 'Shredtail' after his most notable scar.

By the time he was a warrior, his territory felt small, having run it so many times. All he wanted was a thrill, not responsibilities, so refused to become either a mentor and even deputy. Unsatisfied with the regular warrior duties, Shredtail soon started to do his own solo patrols and hunts. Eventually, Windclan grew accustomed to this, as even if it was unusual, he still brought back results. Sometimes, Shredtail would spend whole nights away from camp, wandering to explore beyond the Borders. Meanwhile, serval of Shredtail's Clanmates had come to respect Shredtail's skills, so asked for training sessions, which he happily accepted, much more brutal then legal.

Whenever a Clan cat or outsider managed to get away unpunished, Shredtail would bully his cowardly Leader, Flamestar, into allowing him to hunt down the offender on "special missions". Even when there wasn't an actual threat, Shredtail would purposefully set up dangerous situations and frame others, to have the excuse to go on those missions. Eventually, this reckless behaviour costed lives. Recently, a wild Boar was been running rapid round Windclan territory, so Shredtail planned to save cats from the beast and slay it himself, even if he was forbidden going near it.

Going against his normal behaviour, Shredtail requested to lead a regular patrol, consisting of two members in his secret training sessions, Leafshine and Lilywhisker. Pretending to 'accidentally' lead them to the boar's location. The two tunnelers tried escaping underground, however in their panic, failed to see how unstable the tunnel was, so it caved in. While Shredtail screeched they were cowards, his words were cut short as the boar's tusks penetrated his body. It was a disaster, two warriors dead and one crippled for life. Shameful he'd let Shredtail go unchecked for so long, Flamestar gave up his nine lives and retired to the Elder's den, allowing his deputy, Heatherstep to take his place.

**Lilywhisker****: **When she was a tunneler, it was her entire life and she lead a very proud life. But that all came crashing down after crippling her leg and being shoved into the elder's den early. After a while of this, she grew more and more frustrated, desperate to feel useful to her Clan. Especially, when, Deadfoot, a cat with a similar condition was still able to become a normal warrior. And when Heatherstar ended the tradition of tunnelling, it was the final straw. She held a meeting with her fellow tunnelers, to try and convince them that action needed to be taken to bring back their beloved way of life. To her shock, some of them weren't interested. Feeling like Windclan was a lost cause now, she gathered up what tunnelers she did have and left Windclan. If their old Clan wouldn't bring back tunnelling, they'd bring it back themselves with their own Clan. Maybe they could call it; Earthclan, Stoneclan or Rockclan.

They tried to establish their new territory at the sacred lands of Hightstones. However, it quickly sparked controversy, when they arrived at the next Gathering, declaring their plans to become the 'fifth Clan'. Life at Highstones wasn't pleasant, a barren wind-swept landscape. Not even able to tunnel much, with most of the stone being too hard to dig through anyway. With few prey and herbs, their numbers slowly decreased. Despite their pleads from both Windclan and her followers, Lilywhisker didn't allow them to return, unable to let go of her pride. Not even accepting herbs from Barkface. The situation grew more complicated, when Clans cats started 'trespassing on their territory' to get to the Moonstone. Lilywhisker allowed it to happen at first but when prey was being stolen from Highstones, Lilywhisker then restricted it to only Medicine cats and leaders. The Clan leaders, Heatherstar and Sunstar visited Lilywhisker and her group, explaining that Highstones didn't belong to anyone and asked them to leave. Which they reluctantly agreed to.

Still not allowing her members to return to Windclan despite Heatherstar's offer, Lilywhisker was in need of new territory, so secretly made the ancient tunnels under the four territories their own. But the tunnels hadn't be kept in check, leading to many cave-ins and many deaths. Finally, Lilywhisker was alone. Sending the rest of her life as a bitter and guilt-ridden rouge, her only spark of sick joy coming from news of Heatherstar's death. Always watching her old Clan from a distance in the Tunnels. But when she becomes the age of a proper elder, she couldn't watch any more. Just as Brokenstar and his Shadowclan's battle-cries rang across the moors, Lilywhisker finally returns to protect her Clan. All the hatred and frustration, being unleashed in this one moment.

The strange thing was, there were kit-apprentices in the battle. Too old to properly fight, Lilywhisker decided to target those innocent members, in effect to make the most impact and teach Shadowclan a painful lesson, why you don't bring kits into battle. Using the tunnels to travel around, she emerged in front of a black-and-white tom, Badgerpaw, retreating into the Tunnels before Flintfang could avenge him. Exiting a second and final time, Lilywhisker searched for her next victim.

By then, Deadfoot, now deputy, had picked up on what she was doing, instantly attacking her on sight, shouting for her to stop. Using her old age to gain pity, she managed to get Deadfoot to cease with his onslaught. Big mistake, as Lilywhisker grabbed him by his twisted paw, taking him into the gloom of the tunnels, about to kill him. Then, Tallstar must overcome his fear one final time, diving in after them, to protect his best friend. Hissing he was a traitor to the Tunnelers, an exhausted Lilywhisker instantly went for the killing bite, barely taking one of Tallstar's lives. Together, the Leader and deputy quickly retaliated, forcing Lilywhisker to escape deeper into the Tunnels, fatally wounded. By the time she'd broken into the open air again, it was no longer the heather-scented air of the moors. Lilywhisker collapsed onto the weed-covered floor, bleeding to death.

**Maggottail****: **(Continued on from Su's version of his story) Is one of the oldest warriors in the Dark Forest, a Skyclan warrior under Buzzardstar's leadership, when they're still just settling into the gorge. Originally, known as Hatchpaw, his tail was bitten by a fox, the wound being infested with Maggots. His clanmates gave him the nickname, 'Maggottail'. But he proudly took the name, requesting it become to his warrior name. He was narcissistic, lustful and smooth with words, having kits with at least 4 different she-cats. He had so many kits, Buzzardstar had to awkwardly confront him, asking him to stop, or a whole generation of warriors would be siblings, meaning they couldn't have kits without inbreeding. For the longest time, Maggottail had been deeply angered by his Clan's exile. Constantly nagging his leader to go back and reclaim their rightful place, but always getting refused. Eventually, Maggottail grew tired of this, rounding up a large majority of his kits, they left for the Four Clans. He planned to scatter every single Clan, just like what happened to Skyclan.

Despite being drastically outnumbered, he planned to use his knowledge of the Clans to hit them at the weak points. With their family bond, Maggottail's group worked like assassins, sending moons spying and scouting on the Four Clans' territories - All in preparation for a few but devasting attacks. During the Gathering, four raiding-parties were sent to the poorly guarded camps, destroying the herb stores. Next, they ambushed the Medicine cats at the Half-moon meeting. Powerless, they were easily slaughtered, only Larkwing able to escape. Since he was at the Moonstone anyway, Maggottail decided to visit Starclan to see their reaction to all of this. Surpisely though, he contacted a Dark Forest cat, One Eye instead.

Since Maggottail wanted to target the Leaders and Deputies next, he made a deal with the spirit. Posing as a Starclan messager, One Eye would visit each Leader's dream claiming: they needed to hold an emergency meeting at Fourtrees but only for Leaders and Deputies. With One Eye's group setting an ambush there, armed with stones for the Leader's nine lives. However unknown to Maggottail, he wasn't the only one with spiritual allies. Warned by a mere apprentice, having received a prophecy, the Leaders brought warriors regardless. Pressing forward anyway, the attack was launched. Plunging the stones deep into the Leaders' throats, they were unable to dislodge them, slowly taking away their nine lives. However, Maggottail was still overwhelmed, dying in the same battle. Maggottail's kits fled, eventually returning to Skyclan or staying as rogues. The Four Clans were on the verge of collapsing, with almost every high ranking cat dead. However, since Maggottail allowed that single Medicine cat, Larkwing to escape, she could use Starclan's guidance to find replacements.

******Batear's**** /****Fenneldust's****: **(Those characters were nameless Dark Forest cats in Spottedleaf's heart, given identities by Su Susan. Fenneldust was the spirit slain by Thistleclaw. However hers and Batear's information is no longer considered canon or at least 'semi-canon', so their wiki pages deleted. The links go to the only Wiki page with any trace of them.)

As the ash settled after Maggottail's defeat, many believed it as Starclan's punishment after Skyclan's exile. Only question was, what do they do next? Should the Four Clans disband? Should they simply find new leaders? The Clan cats were desperate for a saviour, so latched onto the Prophecy cat, Fennelpaw and last Medicine cat, Larkwing to guidance. Despite being underaged, Fennelpaw was given the warrior name, Fenneldust. With Larkwing as an advisor, the young she-cat announced her plans for an overhaul of the Clan system - A refocus on the Clans' spirituality and to gain Starclan's forgiveness. Thinking that Prophecy cats were the rightful authority of the Clans. While those like Maggottail, the Dark Forest's trainees, should be snuffed out.

First, she set up the new 'Leader's camp' at the sacred place of Four Trees. Then Funneldust pressured Larkwing to quickly select more prophecy cats, to the point she felt forced to fake omens. Yet she still made sure her chooses were genuinely good leaders. However, Funneldust remained the only one with true power as the founder. Dubbing the new leaders as 'Judges', Funneldust began purging the Clans despite protests. Running wild with paranoia, innocent cats were put on trial left and right as 'Dark Forest Trainees', either exiling or executing them. Quickly swirling out of control, as it steadily got more extreme.

As the time approached for Larkwing to find another member for the Judges - She finally didn't need to lie, Starclan sent down a real dream. They had chosen a certain individual known as Batear. Despising this forced responsibility, the Black tom rebelled, helping the suspected Trainees whenever he could, like smuggling them out or leaking information, regardless of the safety of others. Even assassinating the occasional cat who knew too much. Despite this, Fenneldust covered up all of Batear's defiant behaviour. Due to being in the public eye, the two couldn't argue openly, so instead did it through Larkwing. Turning her into a reluctant double agent, lying and snitching for both sides. Eventually, Larkwing grew tired of their pawn. This had to end. Going against her Medicine cat oath, Larkwing tricked Batear and Funneldust into drinking toxic waste, pretending it was a Starclan omen. Out of all the Judges, those two were the only members truly chosen by Starclan. They were prophesied to be saviours. So why were their souls on the way to the Dark Forest?

As soon as Batear and Funneldust were dead, Larkwing announced the abolishment of Funneldust's system. Which included the return of the Purge's exiled victims. It would return to traditional Leaders, Deputies and Medicine cats. At last, the Living Cats would decide who lead them, creating their own destinies. The Purge, the Dark Forest or Skyclan were forbidden from being mentioned. It made sure those dark histories wouldn't be rediscovered for generations to come. Though even in the afterlife, Fennelust and Batear's rivalry didn't end. While Fenneldust continued her mission, making other Dark Forest spirits like One Eye and Slash fade for good, Batear kept others safe from her. It eventually became fatal as Fenneldust tried attacking a young trainee, Thistleclaw, only to be killed a second time. When he heard about it, Batear only sneered at her foolishness.

**Silverhawk****/****Sparrowfeather****:** A truly formidable force. Silverhawk the replacement Medicine cat after Ravenwing's death and Sparrowfeather the new deputy, after Beetail's retirement. Unlike many others, Sparrowfeather understood the great power Medicine cats held over their Clans. Using his connection with Starclan to influence the Clan, Silverhawk would fake omens and lie about dreams in order to get Sparrowfeather chosen as deputy. Even after she was chosen, Silverhawk used a fake prophecy, to frame her rivals as a future evil and have them exiled. They did this partly because of the hunger for power, but mainly for a far simpler reason; Once Sparrowfeather became leader, she would try to amend the warrior code, to allow Medicine Cats to have kits, so she and Silverhawk could have the family they always wanted.

One Half-clan meeting, Silverhawk's apprentice, Deerpaw confronted him, starting to suspect his crimes after all those moons. With no other choice, Silverhawk killed the apprentice before as the other Medicine cats slept. He dragged the body out of the cave, dumping it outside for the crows to eat. When Silverhawk told Sparrowfeather what happened, the honor-driven deputy was disgusted, breaking into an argument. A patrol overheard the shouting and told Oakstar. They were exiled from ThunderClan, with Deerpaw's sister, Doefeather becoming the new deputy. And as one last gut punch, it turned out Sparrowfeather was infertile. They took this as a punishment from Starclan, so sent the rest of their lives with a deep hatred of their spiritual ancestors.

**Marshcloud**** : **The biggest coward you'll ever know. His other two littermates had left their mother but Marsh, refused to live independently. This causes her to become more and more frustrated with him. This eventually forced his sister, Fallow to take him in, barely keeping them both fed. Once Leaf-bare come around, Fallow found herself near to starvation, with Marsh taking the majority of her catches. She begged him to start hunting as well but he refused, so his sister ended up chasing him away. Marsh stumbled about aimlessly for serval days, finally coming across the Clans. Crazing the Clans' plentiful resources, he lingered around Windclan's borders, until they gave up driving him out and lead him to their camp. Heatherstar reluctantly gives him a chance, renaming him Marshcloud.

However, despite holding a Clan name, he was a rogue among his Clanmates. Constantly ignoring the code, like taking food from two-legs and having no respect for borders, causing unnecessarily battles. Which he'd always be the first to flee from. Also extremely cowardly, putting his own safety over others, including kits and elders. Eventually, Windclan asked him to leave. Using his pathetic persona to gain pity, he took advantage of the Clans' hospitality, joining Thunderclan and then Riverclan. By this point, his littermates, Fallow and Cedar had heard of Marshcloud living among the Clans, and hoped he could put in a good word for them, so they could join him. Which Marshcloud wasn't overly frilled to do, but did it anyway before they got too pushy. With both of them being accepted into Riverclan, renamed as Fallowtail and Cedarpelt. Due to her loner background, Fallowtail didn't have a full grasp on the Warrior Code, meaning she ended up in a forbidden relationship with Reedfeather.

While in Riverclan, the young Medicine cat, Brambleberry suggested becoming her apprentice. But due to his laziness, a lot of cats died unnecessarily under his care. His last act of cowardice was when he accidentally knocked Duskwater into a flood but didn't even attempt to save her despite being in no danger himself, not even telling anyone. Finally, Windclan got whiff of Marshcloud and warned Riverclan at the gathering. Finally, awareness was spread of Marshcloud, driving him out for good. When he was escorted to the Riverclan border, Marshcloud remarked he didn't need any of his clanmates anyway. Just as he said that, he clumsily stumbled into a Goose's nest, which didn't end well for him. The Riverclan patrol returned home that night, dumbstruck.

**Rushtooth****/****Houndleap****: **With the old leader, Jay dead, the burden had fallen upon her 2nd in command, Pixie to run the streets of the Twolegplace. However old age was now catching up on the she-cat and the newcomers, Bone and Brick, with their growing gang, were slowly shifting the tides of power. Now the young best friends, Hound and Rush were caught in the crossfire. They either needed to pick a side or die. Too scrawny to be of any proper use, Rush tried to be slightly smarter, going to Brick and Bone, offering their services as recruiters. The older toms weren't convinced, but reluctantly gave them serval moons, but warned them: If they turned up empty-handed and the friends should consider themselves unwelcome on their territory. With that, they set off of do something Hound had always wanted to do.

As a kit, he'd always heard of the mysterious forest cats that would 'kidnap' kittypets and rouges into their ranks. It'd always been Hound's personal mission to 'free those cats and bring them home'. Through their connections with Marshcloud, they were able to get into the Clans, Houndleap in Windclan and Rushtooth in Riverclan. Spending the next few moons, getting closer to the street-born cats and their families. Slowly Houndleap created purposeful tension within the Clan with rumours.

With everything in place, Houndleap and Rushtooth led the 'kittypet rebellion', setting up a secret meeting at Fourtrees with all the former outsiders, them and their allies trying to force them to 'return home'. In the end, the two best friends died together, shoved off the Leaders' stone. In the aftermath, there was a massive debate on whether all the non Clan-borns should be exiled or not. Finally, it was assumed all the offenders were slain or driven off in the battle, so no further action was taken. Though the reputation of kittypets took a massive hit, it wasn't until seasons later, that another outsider was allowed to join, in the form of a small ginger tom. 


End file.
